FA won’t punish football boss over ‘racist and homophobic’ texts
The Football Association will take no action against former Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay, after allegations he was involved in a chain of racist, homophobic text messages.
Allegations were made in August last year that the former football boss and his then head of recruitment Iain Moody were involved with a string of racist, homophobic and sexist text messages – one of which allegedly read: “He’s a snake, a gay snake. Not to be trusted.”
Mackay – who departed the team in 2013 – later admitted to sending some of the messages, saying: “Out of 10,000 text messages in and out of someone’s phone, I sent three, and that being the case, looking at them, they are completely unacceptable, inappropriate, and for that and any offence I’ve caused, I sincerely apologise.”
Following a lengthy investigation, today the FA said that while the messages were inappropriate, they would not take action because they were “private communications sent with a legitimate expectation of privacy”.
The statement said: “Having assessed the evidence, and in light of the finding that the communications were sent with a legitimate expectation of privacy, The FA will not be taking disciplinary action against Iain Moody and Malky Mackay in connection with the content of those messages.
“However, The FA has spoken to both Iain Moody and Malky Mackay about the inappropriateness of terms used in the messages. Both individuals have acknowledged that such terms are not acceptable. Mr Mackay has also voluntarily undertaken equality and diversity training.
“The FA is in the process of carrying out a complex review involving all stakeholders on how communications, and in particular those involving discriminatory language, which may be viewed as taking place in private should be treated in the future.”
Despite taking no action whatsoever, the FA claimed: “The English game remains determined to eliminate discriminatory conduct in all its forms.”
